After his first state visit to France in five years, President Xi Jinping said he and French President Emmanuelle Macron had agreed to accelerate a slew of bilateral initiatives. Eighteen cooperation agreements between the two countries’ respective government agencies were signed during the visit, covering aviation, agriculture, people-to-people exchanges, green development and SME cooperation, among other ventures.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Xi said he hoped to double the number of European exchange students in China and announced an extension of the short-stay visa-exemption policy for citizens of 12 countries, including France. The policy is now set to run until the end of 2025. The two presidents supported launching direct flights between Shanghai and Marseilles, he added.
Xi also said that China was ready to work with France to advocate for a “cessation of hostilities around the world,” making special note of the Palestinian and Ukrainian crises.
Describing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a “test for human conscience,” Xi urged the international community to act for an immediate, sustainable ceasefire. He reiterated that China supported Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations.
[See more: President Xi Jinping is in Paris to talk trade]
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Xi spoke of China’s opposition to “attempts to use the Ukraine crisis to scapegoat or smear a third country or to stoke a new cold war” – an apparent reference to Washington’s lavish funding of Ukraine’s war effort and US attempts to portray Beijing as a military supporter of Moscow.
“China did not start the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to or a participant in it,” Xi emphasised in his statement. “We call on all parties to resume engagement and dialogue to build mutual trust.”
The state visit marked 60 years of diplomatic relations between China and France and, according to Xi, paved the way for a “the next 60 years of China-France relations.” Xi promised “to develop friendly relations and cooperation with France and all other countries on the basis of mutual respect.”
The next stops in Xi’s six-day trip to Europe include Serbia and Hungary, with his visit to Serbia’s capital coinciding with the 25th anniversary of NATO’s fatal bombing of Belgrade’s Chinese embassy, CNN reports.
